Clear Today with a High of -3º F

Today promises to be all about temperature.  In a word:  Brrr!  After a very mild introduction to Northwestern Minnesota winter - reality returned last night.

The first warning was a "crawl" notice on the television screen:  National Weather Service Extreme Cold Warning.   I live at the bottom of the "o" in Grand Forks.


At 10pm, meteorologist John Wheeler forecast the overnight temps:  -21º F

I checked all the thermostats and thermometers in the house.  I let the water drip in the sinks.  I checked all the electric baseboard heaters.  I cursed the little red light on the "ripple control" box by the electrical panels in the mudroom.

I kept the fire in my little wood stove going all night.

Warm and toasty indoors.

The thermometers outside my windows told another story.  -20ºF

The birds were at the feeders well before dawn this morning.

Brown Creeper

Common Redpolls, American Goldfinches, Red-breasted Nuthatches, White-breasted Nuthatches, a Brown Creeper and Dark-eyed Juncos.